1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for diverting a sheet or a film to one of at least two paths, in particular, in automatic film handling systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Until the advent of automatic film handling systems, film sheets, and in particular X-ray film sheets, were handled manually by loading the film sheet into a cassette in the dark, exposing it under daylight conditions and then taking the cassette into a darkroom, opening it and placing the film sheet into a processor all in the dark. Various systems are available for the handling of photographic film sheets, and in particular X-ray film sheets (or radiographs), in daylight conditions.
One such system for automatic daylight handling of film in a cassette is an apparatus which automatically opens the cassette, removes an exposed film sheet, places an unexposed sheet into the cassette, closes the cassette and ejects the reloaded cassette to an operator; during which time the exposed film sheet is transported to a film processor for development. However, efforts to increase the productivity of the film handling apparatus to quickly unload and load cassettes is limited by a time lag between the unloading and transporting of the exposed film to the processor and the time required for the film processing. Typically the time required for film processing is longer than the time to unload and transport the film. Recently, it has been proposed that this time differential may be resolved by including an intermediate storage device with the daylight film handling apparatus which equalizes the time lag between the two operations by receiving the exposed film, storing the film, and dispensing the film to the processor for processing at the development speed.
As a result, there is a need in film handling apparatus to provide an apparatus for directing an exposed film from the cassette to one of two paths, a first path toward an intermediate film storage device and a second path toward a film processor.